Category: Encouragement

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Peace on Earth

The life of Jesus began and ended with a message of peace and the instruction to “fear not” and be brave.

“I have told you these things so that you can have peace in me. In this world you will have troubles. But be brave! I have defeated the world!” John 16:33 ERV

In light of all that is going on around the world today there is definitely a need for the Prince of Peace.

Can you imagine being a shepherd, probably dosing off for the night when the entire night sky lit up? Talk about UFO’s – this was an invasion! No place to run, no place to hide and then came the message:

” All at once an angel came down to them from the Lord, and the brightness of the Lord’s glory flashed around them. The shepherds were frightened. 10 But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid! I have good news for you, which will make everyone happy. 11 This very day in King David’s hometown a Savior was born for you. He is Christ the Lord. 12 You will know who he is, because you will find him dressed in baby clothes and lying on a bed of hay.”

13 Suddenly many other angels came down from heaven and joined in praising God. They said: 14 “Praise God in heaven! Peace on earth to everyone who pleases God.” Luke 2:8-14 CEV

Don’t be afraid – Peace!

This isn’t just a nice little story in a nice little book – these shepherds were real people, and they came face to face with talking angels. Ya, that would make the hair on the back of your neck stand up!

But what is it you’re facing today – a bad medical report, a falling marriage, wayward children, financial failure, world unrest, the collapse of the future you had planned…

Then listen to what Jesus said

“But the Holy Spirit will come and help you, because the Father will send the Spirit to take my place. The Spirit will teach you everything and will remind you of what I said while I was with you. 27 I give you peace, the kind of peace that only I can give. It isn’t like the peace that this world can give. So don’t be worried or afraid.” John 14:26-27 CEV

and finally one of my favorites

“Let the peace that Christ gives control your thinking. It is for peace that you were chosen to be together in one body. And always be thankful.” Colossians 3:15 ERV

This morning as you are looking out on your world, be still and let the peace of God rule in your heart.

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The Impossible Made Possible

With God NOTHING is impossible!

Nothing…not your financial situation, not your health, not your kids or your spouse, your job, your safety, your peace of mind. Nothing!

These words were spoken to a young Jewish girl by an angel.

“Mary was confused by the angel’s words and wondered what they meant. 30 Then the angel told Mary, “Don’t be afraid! God is pleased with you, 31 and you will have a son. His name will be Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of God Most High. The Lord God will make him king, as his ancestor David was. 33 He will rule the people of Israel forever, and his kingdom will never end.”

34 Mary asked the angel, “How can this happen? I am not married!”

35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come down to you, and God’s power will come over you. So your child will be called the holy Son of God. 36 Your relative Elizabeth is also going to have a son, even though she is old. No one thought she could ever have a baby, but in three months she will have a son. 37 Nothing is impossible for God!”

38 Mary said, “I am the Lord’s servant! Let it happen as you have said.” And the angel left her.” Luke 1:29-38 CEV

What could be more impossible than this – a young woman, who was a virgin, having a child? No situation in your life or mine could be more impossible than this. Truly!

How? God’s power and Mary’s agreement. If Mary hadn’t believed the angel’s message to her He would have gone to someone else. But she accepted that NOTHING was impossible.

She believed, she conceived and she received what God gave.

The hard thing was walking it out. She had to tell her family, she had to tell Joseph and then she had to hear the whispers and the criticism that followed.

God has made us a promise that He will supply all that we need and He will give us the strength that we need in every situation. (Philippians 4:13, 19)

He has promised if we ask, we will receive. He won’t give us a stone for bread or a snake instead of a fish. He is a good Father and He will provide for his children. (Matthew 7)

There was another woman who saw the power of God at work. She was old, I mean really old. Almost 90 and her reproductive system had never worked but God made a promise. Sarah saw God work.

“The Lord asked Abraham, ‘Why did Sarah laugh? Does she doubt that she can have a child in her old age? 14 I am the Lord! There is nothing too difficult for me. I’ll come back next year at the time I promised, and Sarah will already have a son.’” Genesis 18:13-14 CEV

So, compare your situation with Mary and Sarah. Whose need was bigger or more difficult to fix? God is the same – nothing, absolutely nothing, is too difficult for Him.

Time and time again I come back to my favorite verse. It is the foundation I stand on everyday.

“God is no mere human! He doesn’t tell lies or change his mind. God always keeps his promises.” Numbers 23:19 CEV

Get in God’s word, find His promise then stand knowing that NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE!

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Mighty God

These words are transforming, life-changing and exciting! These words are to be lived – they are not just words on a page.

“For unto us a child is born; unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder. These will be his royal titles: “Wonderful,” “Counselor,” “The Mighty God,” “The Everlasting Father,” “The Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6 TLB

They are words that I have heard every Christmas for as long as I can remember. They are words, not just for the Christmas season, but they are our hope for every day of our lives.

Each “royal” title for Christ deserves to be examined and meditated on; this morning I’ll share just a few thoughts on “the mighty God”.

The mighty God – THE mighty God – the MIGHTY God – the mighty GOD – THE MIGHTY GOD – no matter where you put the emphasis, it means that HE is greater than I am. He is mighty.

From the beginning, God’s plan was to be involved in the daily lives of His creation. He wanted fellowship with the people He created. He walked and talked with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day. He spoke with Noah, Abraham, Samuel, David, Solomon, Ruth, Esther, Daniel, Mary, Joseph and then He came personally to dwell with mankind and reveal His nature – His heart – His plan.

The MIGHTY God made an old couple able to bear a child; shut the mouth of hungry lions, brought victory after victory in battle, fed the Israelites with bread from heaven, raised the dead, healed the sick, open the eyes of the blind, walked on water, defeated Satan and death to rise triumphantly from the grave.

The mighty GOD came to live among us, to experience what we experience and to give us the victory. “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” John 1:14

“Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”I John 4:4

“We have a great high priest who has gone to live with God in heaven. He is Jesus the Son of God. So let us continue to express our faith in him. 15 Jesus, our high priest, is able to understand our weaknesses. When Jesus lived on earth, he was tempted in every way. He was tempted in the same ways we are tempted, but he never sinned. 16 With Jesus as our high priest, we can feel free to come before God’s throne where there is grace. There we receive mercy and kindness to help us when we need it.” Hebrews 4:14-16

There is NO situation or circumstance in our life today that “the mighty God” can’t handle. When we give it over to Him, we experience His presence and His peace.

“Give all your worries to him, because he cares for you.” I Peter 5:7

All our worries, cares and frustrations need to be given over to our “Mighty God”. He promises to carry the load; to give us His peace, mercy and kind help in our time of need. He promises to never abandon us or leave us without help. He promises to be our help in times of trouble.

He is Mighty God and He is our constant friend and guide.

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Look Up!

Friday night we drove to the little town closest to us for a Christmas parade. Friends of ours went along. We didn’t know what to expect because as I said it was a little town.

We munched on hamburgers, funnel cakes and kettle corn as we waited for the parade to begin. It was fun to be in such a festive mob all anticipating the parade. What we didn’t expect was what happened next.

The drone parade.

Most of the town lights were dimmed and one by one small spots of light appeared in the heavens. More and more lights appeared drawn together by the intricate programming of those who had much more expertise in technology than any of us on the ground.

For the next bit of time the drones repositioned themselves to form a variety of Christmas images. But if you hadn’t been looking up, you would have missed the show!

It prompted a question in my heart, “how many times do I fail to look up and miss out on what God has planned?”.

So many people spend time looking down. Looking down on others because of their education or lack thereof; looking down on financial status, marital status, political party, skin color, cultural idiosyncrasies, too religious, not religious enough, occupation or even sports team affiliation.

Then there are those who spend their time looking in. Looking in-ward at their mistakes, their failures, their fears, their lack and so they spend half of their lives living in self-pity.

Isn’t it interesting that the angels proclaimed the message of Christ’s birth in the heavens? The shepherds had to look up.

“That night, some shepherds were out in the fields near Bethlehem watching their sheep. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord was shining around them. The shepherds were very afraid. 10 The angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid. I have some very good news for you—news that will make everyone happy. 11 Today your Savior was born in David’s town. He is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This is how you will know him: You will find a baby wrapped in pieces of cloth and lying in a feeding box.”

13 Then a huge army of angels from heaven joined the first angel, and they were all praising God, saying, 14 “Praise God in heaven, and on earth let there be peace to the people who please him” Luke 2:8-14 ERV

How much time in the last year have we spent looking down?

“Lift up your heads, O gates, And be lifted up, ancient doors, That the King of glory may come in. 8 Who is the King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, The LORD mighty in battle.” Psalm 24:7-10 AMP

Maybe things have you feeling overwhelmed – so much is going on in the world. Or maybe you’re looking inward because you’ve been hurt, broken hearted.

“I look up to the hills, but where will my help really come from? 2 My help will come from the LORD, the Creator of heaven and earth.3 He will not let you fall. Your Protector will not fall asleep.” Psalm 121:1-3 ERV

Let me encourage you today to look up. Look up and find the One who fills the heavens and also fills our hearts!

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God on the Mountain

I was reading the story of the king of Syria attacking the king of Israel this morning. It touched a chord in my heart.

Benhadad, the Syrian king, led his armies in an attack of Ahad, the king of Israel, on mountain terrain. The smaller army of Ahad defeated the Syrian army. The prophet of God, went to Ahab after the battle and told him that Benhadad would attack him again in the Spring, so he needed to be prepared.

This is what Benhadad’s advisors had told him.

“Meanwhile, Benhadad’s officials went to him and explained: Israel’s gods are mountain gods. We fought Israel’s army in the hills, and that’s why they defeated us. But if we fight them on flat land, there’s no way we can lose.” I Kings 20:23 CEV

This is what the prophet of God told Ahab.

“The Israelites also prepared to fight. They marched out to meet the Syrians, and the two armies camped across from each other. The Syrians covered the whole area, but the Israelites looked like two little flocks of goats.

28 The prophet went to Ahab and said, ‘The Syrians think the Lord is a god of the hills and not of the valleys. So he has promised to help you defeat their powerful army. Then you will know that the Lord is in control.’”

Sometimes we are like Benhadad’s army. We see God as being limited to a particular situation or circumstance in our lives. We think, “Yes, God did this but hey, this is a big ask and I’m not sure that I can trust God in this situation.”

I’m here to tell you that our God on the mountain is also our God in the valley. He is faithful, trustworthy, always there – even in the presence of our enemies.

“I may walk through valleys as dark as death, but I won’t be afraid. You are with me,
and your shepherd’s rod makes me feel safe. 5 You treat me to a feast, while my enemies watch. You honor me as your guest, and you fill my cup until it overflows.” Psalm 23:4-5 CEV

God is faithful. His promise to never leave us or abandon us holds true no matter where we are!

There’s a song that really has an impact on my life every time I hear it. I hope you will follow this link and listen to it today. But just in case you don’t, let these words encourage your heart. “God on the Mountain” by Linda Randel

“Life is easy, when you’re up on the mountain
And you’ve got peace of mind, like you’ve never known
But things change, when you’re down in the valley
Don’t lose faith, for you’re never alone

For the God on the mountain, is still God in the valley
When things go wrong, He’ll make them right
And the God of the good times, is still God in the bad times
The God of the day, is still God in the night

You talk of faith when you’re up on the mountain
But talk comes so easy, when life’s at its best
Now it’s down in the valley of trials and temptations
That’s where your faith is really put to the test

For the God on the mountain, is still God in the valley
When things go wrong, He’ll make them right
And the God of the good times, is still God in the bad times
The God of the day, is still God in the night
The God of the day, is still God in the night”

No matter where you are today, God is right there with you!

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Our Beautiful Lord

When I woke this morning, I was weary. My body ached and I felt weak. I felt vulnerable; there was only one thing to do.

Focus on my beautiful Lord and Savior.

“ With Jesus as our high priest, we can feel free to come before God’s throne where there is grace. There we receive mercy and kindness to help us when we need it.” Hebrews 4:16 ERV

“So we should be thankful because we have a kingdom that cannot be shaken. And because we are thankful, we should worship God in a way that will please him.” Hebrews 12:28 ERV

I thank Him for saving me, for His healing, joy, hope, peace, strength, rest, forgiveness, adoption, kindness, patience and understanding. In my thankfulness I heard the melody and the lyrics of this praise song.

Oh Lord, you’re beautiful,
Your face is all I seek,
For when your eyes are on this child,
Your grace abounds to me.

Oh Lord, please light the fire,
That once burned bright and clear.
Replace the lamp of my first love,
That burns with Holy fear.

I want to take your word and shine it all around.
But first help me to just, live it Lord.
And when I’m doing well, help me to never seek a crown.
For my reward is giving glory to you.

Oh Lord, you’re beautiful,
Your face is all I seek,
For when your eyes are on this child,
Your grace abounds to me. by Keith Green

And then this one:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

You see, when we rise each day we have a choice. We can look at our circumstances and the day ahead through our own understanding and conditioning or we can see it through the eyes of Christ who has called us to be victorious, overcomers, always triumphant through Him.

Today, I chose the latter. I choose to look into the face of my beautiful Savior and draw my strength from Him.

I pray you will do the same!

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Bread and Water

What do you think of when I say the words bread and water? Most associate that phrase with punishment – the prisoners were put on bread and water. Perhaps, some would consider it a minimalist or impoverished diet.

What if I told you that it is quite the opposite? It is a meal that gives strength and builds stamina.

In my Bible reading this morning the Lord reminded me of the prophet Elijah. Because of the wickedness of King Ahab of Israel, the Lord used Elijah to announce there would be no rain in the land. Without rain, famine came. Ahab’s wife had the prophets of the Lord killed and fed the prophets of Baal at her table each day.

The land was in physical and spiritual famine.

At the end of three years, Elijah met Ahab and called the prophets of Baal to a challenge. The challenge would prove which god was really the true God. In the end the Lord used Elijah to wipe out the prophets of Baal and rain returned to the land. (You’ve got to read the story for yourselves. It’s in I Kings 18)

Jezebel pronounces a death sentence on Elijah. Says he’ll be dead within 24 hours, if she has her way. Elijah flees for safety. Yes, he was running scared.

But God…

sends an angel.

“ When Elijah heard this, he was afraid. So he ran away to save his life… 4 and walked for a whole day into the desert. Then he sat down under a bush and asked to die. He said, “I have had enough, Lord! Take my life. I am no better than my ancestors.”

5 Then Elijah lay down under the bush and went to sleep. An angel came to him and touched him. The angel said, “Get up and eat!” 6 Elijah looked around, and by his head there was a cake that had been baked over coals and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then went back to sleep.” I Kings 19:3-6 ERV

The angel came a second time and said, “Get up and eat! If you don’t, you will not be strong enough to make the long trip.” 8 So Elijah got up. He ate and drank and felt strong. Then Elijah walked for 40 days and nights to Mount Horeb, the mountain of God.” verse 7 & 8

Now, I grant you this was a supernatural intervention from the Lord, but, we have God’s promise to strengthen us in this day and age.

“ Christ is the one who gives me the strength I need to do whatever I must do.” Philippians 4:13 ERV

Jesus said of Himself when He was here on earth. “I AM the bread of life” and He also said that “If anyone believes in me, rivers of living water will flow out from their heart. That is what the Scriptures say.” (John 7:38)

My question to you is this, are you feeling tired, weary, stressed, scared, exhausted?

Take a cue from Elijah – get away from the confliction but don’t run in fear. Rest. Then feed on the bread of life and let your soul be nourished by the living water that He places within you.

Be thankful because in Christ we have all the strength we need to face down any threatening circumstances that come against us.

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Let It Shine

Last night I went out after dark to take inventory of our path lights. We live on the edge of a wash so it’s important that things are well lit. We don’t want anyone getting too close to the edge.

I told Dave that we have four lights which need to be replaced. He said he would check them because sometimes they just need to have the sensors wiped clean and they’ll be ok.

When he said that I was reminded of my collection of oil lamps that I used on a regular basis. They weren’t just for decoration; they provided much needed light when we lost power. I cleaned the chimneys of those lamps regularly, so they were always ready to give light to the room.

It made me think – do I need to have my sensors wiped or my chimney cleaned?

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-15 ESV

Grumbling, murmuring, complaining, criticizing, fault finding and finger pointing will mess up our sensors and muck up our chimneys. Our light will be diminished, instead of protecting others from getting too close to the edge of danger.

Gratitude, thankfulness, appreciation, kindness, compassion and constructive instruction light the way for others to give glory to our heavenly Father.

“God once said, ‘Let light shine out of the darkness!’ And this is the same God who made his light shine in our hearts to let us know that his own divine greatness is seen in the face of Christ. 7 We have this treasure from God, but we are only like clay jars that hold the treasure. This is to show that the amazing power we have is from God, not from us.” II Corinthians 4:6-7 ERV

God has placed His treasure of light in us. Take inventory. If necessary, wipe off the sensors or clean the chimneys.

He wants us to shine brightly with His love.

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Filled With Blessings

Here we are just a few days before Thanksgiving and other than the grocery store commercials not a lot is being said about this day that was set aside for giving thanks.

Our hearts should be overflowing with thankfulness.

God has been gracious and kind. There may have been disappointments and even heart aches in the last year but God remains faithful and trustworthy.

He continues to bring blessings and benefits into our lives. He loads us up with blessings!

” Do not be misled, my beloved brothers and sisters. 17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above; it comes down from the Father of lights [the Creator and Sustainer of the heavens], in whom there is no variation [no rising or setting] or shadow [a]cast by His turning [for He is perfect and never changes]. 18 It was of His own will that He gave us birth [as His children] by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits of His creatures [a prime example of what He created to be set apart to Himself—sanctified, made holy for His divine purposes].

19 Understand this, my beloved brothers and sisters. Let everyone be quick to hear [be a careful, thoughtful listener], slow to speak [a speaker of carefully chosen words and], slow to anger [patient, reflective, forgiving]; ” James 1:16-19 AMP

He is the giver of every good and perfect gift and He does not change. We need to listen more and murmur less. This will definitely bring us closer to thankful hearts.

“We praise you, Lord God! You treat us with kindness day after day, and you rescue us. 20 You always protect us and save us from death.” Psalm 68:19-20 CEV

One translation of this verse says ” Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.”

Daily, He loads us up with benefits…Selah (stop and think).

“My soul, praise the Lord! Every part of me, praise his holy name! 2 My soul, praise the Lord  and never forget how kind he is! 3 He forgives all our sins and heals all our sicknesses.” Psalm 103:1-3 ERV

Today as you get ready to go about your day Stop and Think about the ways the Lord has been good to you. I guarantee it will make you thankful!

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Not the Turkey – The Lamb

Thanksgiving is coming soon and there is so much preparation still to be done. Groceries to buy, miles to be driven, pies to bake, turkey to prepare and cleaning to be done – but in all of this it’s important that we don’t lose sight of why we celebrate on the 4th Thursday of November.

“Father, you so graciously brought those pilgrims through a year of hardship and struggle in this new land. They came with a desire to worship freely, seeking to build a land where men were equal. They willingly faced the perils of sea and land; weather and wild but they persevered with Your help and the help of their newfound allies. Our hearts are grateful that because of their sacrifice we are able to call this land home.

We are also grateful that because of the sacrifice of Jesus we can call heaven home and spend eternity in Your presence. We are dependent on You and Your direction for our lives as much as those early settlers that came to Plymouth Rock. We come to our Rock, the solid rock, Christ Jesus and in Him we find life.

Our desire is to let the light of Jesus shine from us so brightly that the world may see your great love.” Our prayer to You, in Jesus name.

The Apostle Paul desired that the light of the gospel, the good news, shine through him and through us.

“We are not preaching about ourselves. Our message is that Jesus Christ is Lord. He also sent us to be your servants. 6 The Scriptures say, ‘God commanded light to shine in the dark.’ Now God is shining in our hearts to let you know that his glory is seen in Jesus Christ.

7 We are like clay jars in which this treasure is stored. The real power comes from God and not from us. 8 We often suffer, but we are never crushed. Even when we don’t know what to do, we never give up. 9 In times of trouble, God is with us, and when we are knocked down, we get up again. 10-11 We face death every day because of Jesus. Our bodies show what his death was like, so that his life can also be seen in us. 12 This means that death is working in us, but life is working in you.” II Corinthians 4:5-12 CEV

Paul experienced the death of his fleshly desires – comfort, security, safety, freedom; so that he could bring the message of new life in Christ to the world. Jesus sacrificed the desires and needs of the flesh to provide salvation, and Paul was willing to crucify his flesh to continue to take that message around the known world.

When we’re tired, hungry, inconvenienced by long lines and irritable people, let’s let the light of Jesus shine through us to bring the power of God to others. In us is the light of God waiting to shine for all the world to see!

As we finish our preparations for time with family and friends, let’s remember it’s about The Lamb of God, not the turkey.

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